Well here we were already. Another year, another Oktoberfest 🍻 and we were preparing to once again don our lederhosens and dirndls, ready to party the night away.

 

Having had our first taster of Hastings Oktoberfest in 2017, we had so much fun, we were hooked. Deciding it would be an annual addition to our calendars, we took the plunge and bought authentic outfits, hoping they would last us several years.

The outfits themselves have seen us through three fabulous Oktoberfest party nights, but as we approached their fourth outing, the pressure was on to squeeze into them, having just returned from a week of over indulgence on an all inclusive cruise 😬.

 

The hubby, annoyingly, seems to be able to consistently over indulge and not put on an ounce. Me on the other hand only has to look at a cake and I put on two pounds 😭.

I couldn’t put it off any longer. The taxi was on its way to collect the Besties, before heading on to pick us up. It was time to cross my fingers and hope for the best. With my dirndl having a zip at the side, I always have to enlist the help of the hubby to zip me in. Here we go, him holding the zip together at the top, me holding tight at the bottom, he gently started to pull and I breathed in. Apart from a slight hitch as as we hit the waist seam, the zip was edged to the top and I was in. 😮‍💨. I might have to hold my breath and stand up all night, but I was in 😂

No time to worry now. The taxi was here and with steins in hands, we were on our way. With half an hour till the doors opened there was time for a pint in the pub, before making our way into the hall and securing our table for the evening. Up on the raised area, we settled and had a great view of both the stage and the entire hall. Perfect.

As we devoured our bratwurst and raised our steins, we chatted about recent holidays and future plans, oblivious to the tables all around us and in the lower hall starting to fill with like minded revellers. Then the compare hit the stage and we were back in the room.

The Oompah band belted out traditional Oktoberfest songs. They had us linking arms, standing up, sitting down, swaying from side to side, backwards and forwards and swilling from our 2 pint steins. People were dancing in the aisles and congaing around the hall.

In between sets there were party games. Couples popping balloons, using no hands against their partners derrière. Then a pint holding competition, harder than it sounds. Ladies holding a filled stein, arm outstretched and shoulder height. As arms began to drop, the competitors dropped out one by one, until amongst very loud cheering, several minutes later we had a winner. 🏅

With the band returning to the stage, the music was more of a party set. As the beer started to hit the spot, the party atmosphere grew louder. Everyone was up on their feet dancing, waving their flags and having a great time. The singer found his way amongst the crowd, climbing up on the benches, distributing t shirts as he sang his way around the hall.

A local band concluded the evening. Not traditional Oktoberfest music, but by now the crowd were just enjoying the beer, the party atmosphere and the dancing.

Although there wasn’t a lot of traditional music it was another fabulous Hastings Oktoberfest. It made us consider once again of experiencing one in Germany 🇩🇪 . But maybe we’ll try one in London first. Whatever we decide, we look forward to doing it all again next year.

🍻 Prost 🍻